2004 Hungarian Grand Prix
15 August |number = 726 |officialname = XX Marlboro Magyar Nagydíj |circuit = Hungaroring |location = Budapest, Hungary |circuittype = Permanent racing facility |lapdistance = 4.381 |laps = 70 |distance = 306.663 |pole = Michael Schumacher |polenation = GER |poleteam = |poletime = 1:19.146 |fastestlap = 1:19.071 |fastestlapdriver = Michael Schumacher |fastestlapnation = GER |fastestlapteam = |fastestlapnumber = 29 |winner = Michael Schumacher |winnernation = GER |winnerteam = |second = Rubens Barrichello |secondnation = BRA |secondteam = |third = Fernando Alonso |thirdnation = ESP |thirdteam = }} The XX Marlboro Magyar Nagydíj, otherwise known as the 2004 Hungarian Grand Prix, was the thirteenth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Hungaroring near Budapest, Hungary, on 15 August 2004.Robert Wilkins, Hungary 2004: 'Ferrari 1-2 seals constructors'.', crash.net, (Crash Media Group, 15/08/2004), https://www.crash.net/f1/race-report/49768/1/hungary-2004-ferrari-1-2-seals-constructors, (Accessed 24/12/2019) The race would see Michael Schumacher claim his fifth career Grand Chelem, leading home a one-two for that secured the Constructors Championship for the Scuderia. Indeed, it was a typically dominant display by Schumacher and Ferrari throughout the weekend, with the German ace securing pole position in qualifying ahead of teammate Rubens Barrichello. Best of the rest, half a second behind, would be the two s, Takuma Sato ahead of Jenson Button, while Fernando Alonso secured fifth ahead of the two s. Any hopes of the Ferraris being defeated were vanquished at the start of the race, with Schumacher sprinting away from Barrichello to claim the lead. Indeed, it was not long before both the scarlet cars were clear at the head of the field, leaving Alonso to charge into third despite Sato's best attempts to block the . Indeed, Sato would be the big loser at the start, slipping down to seventh while Juan Pablo Montoya swept past Button for fourth. Jarno Trulli and Kimi Räikkönen would also get the jump on Sato, leaving the Japanese racer to fend off the attentions of Giancarlo Fisichella.'Hungary 2004: Lap by Lap', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/hongrie/tour-par-tour.aspx, (Accessed 24/12/2019) Out front, meanwhile, Schumacher would ease away from Barrichello, building big enough lead to make his first stop without losing the lead. Likewise, Barrichello was able to make his first stop without slipping out of second, while Alonso and Montoya battled in the pitlane for third, the Spaniard emerging ahead. With that the race was effectively over, with no changes to the order once Mark Webber completed the first pit cycle, jumping from fifth to tenth. He duly dropped back to eleventh behind David Coulthard, with the order then remaining unchanged until the second round of stops. The second round of stops would go much light the first, with Schumacher stopping without losing the lead, while Montoya briefly led Alonso before he made his stop. It was a similar story during the third and final round of stops, with retirements for Trulli and Räikkönen the only modifications to the order. With that a rather dull race was over, with Schumacher cruising through the final laps to claim his twelfth win of the campaign, as well as his fifth Grand Chelem. Barrichello's second place, meanwhile, was enough for Ferrari to claim the Constructors Championship with five races to go, while Alonso was a distant third to complete the podium. Montoya, Button, Sato, Antônio Pizzonia and Fisichella claimed the remaining points. Background Michael Schumacher marched on towards his fifth straight World Championship crown with his eleventh win of the season, leaving Germany on 110 points. Rubens Barrichello had slipped 36 points behind his teammate after failing to score, while Jenson Button would fall out of the fight if he failed to beat Schumacher in Hungary. Behind, Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso completed the top five, while Antônio Pizzonia had become the season's nineteenth scorer. In the Constructors Championship had managed to once again increase their lead, leaving Germany with 99 points in hand. were the team closest to challenging the Scuderia, but with such a huge gap ahead were instead focused on fending off for second. The Anglo-Japanese squad had closed the gap between the two to just nine points, with the pair set to duel for the runner-up spot as continued to fall away. Entry list The full entry list for the is outlined below: Practice Overview Qualifying Q1 Report Q2 Report Qualifying Results The full qualifying results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session. *'Bold' indicates a driver's best/qualifying time. ** Massa awarded a ten place grid penalty for changing his engine. Grid Race Report Results The full results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car. Milestones * declared as the FIA Formula One World Championship for Constructors Champions. ** This was their fourteenth title and sixth in a row.'13. Hungary 2004', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/hongrie.aspx, (Accessed 24/12/2019) * Michael Schumacher secured his fifth career Grand Chelem. ** Schumacher registered his 82nd career victory. ** Schumacher also set a new record for most wins in a single season - 12.'2004 Hungarian GP', chicanef1.com, (Chicane F1, 2014), http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=2004&gp=Hungarian%20GP&r=1, (Accessed 24/12/2019) * Ferrari claimed their 179th win as a constructor and engine supplier. Standings Victory for the twelfth time in left Michael Schumacher on 120 points out of a maximum 130, with five rounds to go in the Championship. With teammate Rubens Barrichello slipping 38 points behind, it meant that the German ace would claim the Championship in Belgium if he out-scored the Brazilian by two points. Indeed, Barrichello was now the only driver able to beat Schumacher to the crown, with third placed Jenson Button slipping 55 points off, with 50 left to fight for. The Constructors Championship, meanwhile, was already over, with leaving Hungary with 202 points and a huge 111 point lead. were therefore confirmed to be in a fight to finish as runners-up, with once again managing to chip away at the French squad's advantage. were also in the hunt but would need a drastic improvement in form, while looked set to finish a distant fifth. Only point scoring drivers are shown. References Images and Videos: * References: Category:Grand Prix articles Category:Grand Prix articles Category:2004 Grands Prix Category:Hungarian Grand Prix